Today, it is necessary for Industrial, Commercial and Home users (ICAHUs) of tools and systems, including but not limited to electrical tools, electrical appliances and computer systems to work safely and efficiently. Often, cords, including electrical cords, may accidentally unplug themselves in the course of everyday use; thus, creating an inconvenience and possibly a safety hazard. To avoid said cords from unplugging, ICAHUs often tape electrical cords together or take time to “wire them” or “rig them” together, or just plug them in and hope they don't become accidentally unplugged. Cords becoming unplugged can be hazardous, such as in the loss of power to a device, and scrambling around to plug in cords that become unplugged can be time consuming. For this reason and others, this present invention, a cord fastening (CF) system and method will easily accommodate and facilitate that said cords used by ICAHUs stay connected during use.
ICAHUs need to work safely and efficiently. Moreover, an electrical device needs to remain plugged-in to be able to receive electricity to function. Time used to plug-in electrical devices that become unplugged is wasted. ICAHUs also may need to move within a work environment in which electrical cords may become snagged or caught on objects and could become disconnected. With the CF system and method, ICAHUs can easily fasten electrical devices together to assure they remain plugged in.
In addition, because of the need for ICAHUs to work safely and efficiently, companies such as Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Home Club, Sam's Club, K-Mart, Sears, Stanley, Loews and Costco, may more-than-likely desire to sell the cord fastening system and method that is comprised in this invention, as a stand alone product or in combination with cords, electrical cords and power devices, including but not limited to power tools.
Heretofore, inventors have not created and developed a system and method for facilitating cord fastening that will fit easily on standard cords, including but not limited to standard electrical cords, and that will actually hold them securely during the stresses and demands encountered in a work environment. This invention permits said ICAHUs to employ the CF system and method easily with many types of cords, including standard, electrical cords that typically contain male and female connectors or plug ends that fasten by fitting the male connector into the female connector by using direct pressure without the need for any twisting of the connectors or their parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2003/0157824 (Ito, August 2003), expressly incorporated herein by reference, relates to a method for a Power Cord Connecting Set which is similar to a cord fastening system and method. This existing art is for specific type of plug set, both male and female, and is not able to be easily fastened to existing standard electrical cords without replacing the actual plug ends of said electrical cords with specialized and customized plug ends. Moreover the existing art will not allow itself to be easily removed from one set of electrical cords and then transferred to another without either heavy modification, and/or possibly running the existing set of plug ends. The existing art is specifically a type of complex plug end that is not simple in nature as opposed to this present invention which is not a plug end but instead a cord fastening system that will not require the modification or alteration of plug ends and that may be easily moved from electrical cord sets to others.
U.S. Pat. No. 2003/0139085 (Chia Hsien, July 2003), expressly incorporated herein by reference, relates to a method for an Electric cord connector kit which is not particularly similar to the cord fastening system and method of this present invention, in that the Electrical cord connector kit is a kit used to “splice” together actual electrical cords and to join then together by crimping them, and is not designed to “plug” and “unplug” or to hold standard electrical plugs in place. This existing art is for permanently joining together electrical cords and is quite different form this present invention in design and scope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,976 (Thomson, 1991) expressly incorporated herein by reference, relates to an electrical cord holding device that possesses a hook-and-loop fastening mechanism that protrudes from, and is secured to, a cover plate, and a reciprocal second portion of a hook-and-loop fastening mechanism that is clamped onto a power cord, wherein the first and second portions of the hook-and-loop fastening mechanism assist in retaining a plug within an outlet. This existing art is specifically for connecting electrical cords into wall outlets and is entirely different in its scope and design from this present invention that is designed to securely maintain that cords are connected together, with a focus on plug ends or plug heads as are standard on electrical extension cords and electrical devices, such as is the engagement of a female plug head of an extension cord to the male plug head of a corded power tool or appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,495 (Kasden, 1994) expressly incorporated herein by reference, relates to an “electrical cord plug lock assembly having a special electrical socket face plate with a pair of laterally spaced locking brackets extending outwardly from its front surface adjacent the opposite sides of the socket aperture.” This existing art is specifically for connecting electrical cords into wall outlets and is entirely different in its scope and design from this present invention that is designed to securely maintain that cords are connected together, with a focus on plug ends or plug heads as are standard on electrical extension cords and electrical devices, such as is the engagement of a female plug head of an extension cord to the male plug head of a corded power tool or appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,390 (Laherty, 1996) expressly incorporated herein by reference, relates to an “electrical plug securing device provides a length of material and embodies appendages into which are formed slots”. This existing art is specifically for connecting electrical cords into wall outlets and is entirely different in its scope and design from this present invention that is designed to securely maintain that cords are connected together, with a focus on plug ends or plug heads as are standard on electrical extension cords and electrical devices, such as is the engagement of a female plug head of an extension cord to the male plug head of a corded power tool or appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 2004/0166718, (Yoest, Daniel, August 2004), expressly incorporated herein by reference to a method for a power cord plug securing device is somewhat similar in purpose to the cord fastening system and method of this present invention, in that it is a system and method for securing power cords together; however, the existing art by Yoest claims the use of a “clasp member” that is “substantially U-shaped” in order to attach itself to an electrical cord, and in the present invention, a multiple-piece collar mechanism is used that is more secure. Also, in the existing art by Yoest, said “clasp member comprises a trough region with retaining walls extending therefrom, said retaining walls terminating in inwardly projecting ends for securely maintaining the portion of the power cord immediately aft of the plug head within said through region” which is markedly different from what is claimed in this present invention, in which a multiple-piece collar mechanism is used. Moreover, the existing art claims a device in which “at least one of said trough region and said retaining walls are at least partially textured or ribbed for increased frictional association with the portion of the power cord retained therein” which indicates that texture and ribbing are employed to create friction as a means of attaching a clasp to a power cord and retaining said power cord; however, in this present invention, what is claimed is the attachment of a multiple-piece collar mechanism to connect to a cord which is markedly different and uses pressure created by the use of fasteners and/or a snap-together hold to accomplish securing said multiple-piece collar mechanism to said cord, which is expected to secure more strongly to said cord than said existing art and therefore will out-perform said existing art. Moreover, existing art claims a “securing strap” which is formed out of one-piece that is also is joined by a “clasp member” on each respective end. Said “securing strap” is not adjustable and is a singular piece which posed two problems: 1) because said “securing strap” is not adjustable it may not fit on a myriad of power cords that employ different types and sizes of male/and or female plug ends; and 2) because said “securing strap” is a singular piece, it may be prone to failure in that it would be weakest in retaining connected cords when pressure was applied from the direct edge of the “securing strap” that was opposite from the cord, then applied inward toward said cord. This present invention claims collar ties that are superior to “securing straps” because they are adjustable and therefore will fit a myriad of cords types and sizes. Moreover, this present invention claims the use of multiple collar ties so that they will be able to withstand the pressure that is applied to cords in a work environment, such as construction or carpentry, without having them become disconnected. Furthermore, this invention claims a multi-piece collar mechanism that is markedly different from the existing arts claim of a “clasp member” that is “substantially U-shaped” employing a “trough region” in that said “clasp member” of existing art allows for said cord to be unseated and thereby removed from said “trough” of the “clasp member” when exposed to pressure, since it does not close around said cord and allows said cord to “pop-out”—thereby failing in its objective; whereby, said cord will not be allowed to become either unseated or removed from said collar mechanism of the present invention when exposed to pressure since said cord is fully enclosed by said collar mechanism—thereby succeeding in its original purpose and objective.
Accordingly, existing inventions describe methods and systems for assuring that electrical cords remain plugged-in or connected, but there does not appear to be an invention that possesses all the features and components of our system and method for delivering a cord fastening solution as in this present invention. To summarize, the systems and methods of the existing inventions have one or more of these disadvantages:                Existing art is not easy-to-use and requires modifying plug ends of electrical cords.        Existing art requires replacing standard plug ends on cords with specialized or customized plug ends and therefore cannot be easily removed from one cord or device to another.        Existing art employs the use of “clasps” to attach to a plug that rely on friction; but that ultimately will allow cords to “pop-in” and “pop-out” of said clasp as pressure is applied, thereby failing to secure said cord is dragged or pulled during working conditions and an obstacle or impediment snags cord creating pressure on “clasps”.        Existing art employs clasps that are “open” in that they do not surround the cord they attach to but allow the cord an area in which it may “pop-out” of clasp when under pressure.        Existing art employs a singular securing strap that is not adjustable and therefore will not fit numerous types and sizes for male and female connectors and other connectors as are used on multiple cord configurations.        Existing art employs a singular securing strap that will not allow it to offset pressure paced upon cords when they are under stress during work conditions.        